Rapides Republican Party urged to 'work together'

PINEVILLE – Michael Reagan's message to the Rapides Republican Party — and the GOP as a whole — is one of unity.

Reagan, son of former President Ronald Reagan, gave the keynote address at the local party's annual Reagan Dinner on Saturday. The fundraising event was hosted by the Rapides Parish Republican Party Executive Committee at Country Inn & Suites in Pineville.

Reagan said an historical issue with the party has been finding ways to work together.

"The Party needs to find a way to come together," he said. "To do that we need to have a message of inclusion. Ronald Reagan had that. I think we can have that in 2014."

Rapides Republican Fundraising Event

Should the GOP reach that unity in time for Election Day, Reagan expects positive results.

"This party needs to come together and be together in November, needs to get out the vote in November across the country, here in Louisiana and every place else also to make sure we take the Senate of the United States back," he said.

Michael Reagan (left), the son of former President Ronald Reagan, speaks with La. State Senator Gerald Long and Will Cassidy, son of U.S. Senate candidate Dr. Bill Cassidy while in Pineville at an event supporting the Rapides Parish Republican party and the candidate.(Photo: Tia Owens-Powers/ towens@thetowntalk.com)

He encouraged voters of all ages to make it the polls on Election Day. He said the Republican Party needs to be able to relate to young people, but that the responsibility also lies with the voter.

Michael Reagan, the son of former President Ronald Reagan speaks to the media before being the guest speaker at a fundraising event for the Rapides Parish Republican party in Pineville on Saturday.(Photo: Tia Owens-Powers/ towens@thetowntalk.com)

"Young people need to become engaged because it's really their future that's being frittered away," he said.

Part of being a "Reagan conservative" is the desire to put government into the hands of the people, he said.

"A Reagan conservative is someone who cares deeply about the United States of America, her people ... somebody who looks at government and says government's too big," he said.

Bill Cassidy, a Republican doctor from Baton Rouge running for a U.S. Senate seat, opened for Reagan.

U.S. Rep. and Louisiana Senate Candidate Bill Cassidy, M.D. speaks to the media shortly before attending an event with Michael Reagan, the son of former President Ronald Reagan, in supporting Rapides Parish Republican activists in Pineville on Saturday.(Photo: Tia Owens-Powers/ towens@thetowntalk.com)

"Michael Reagan reminds us of Ronald Reagan, obviously," Cassidy said. "Ronald Reagan spoke of optimism. ... I believe more in Ronald Reagan than in Barack Obama's agenda. ... This is a party of entrepreneurship, a party of opportunity, a party that believes in the individual, not the government."